50th Anniversary of the March on Washington

It's time for a serious discussion on why progress on civil rights and economic justice stalled and reversed since the demands of the 1963 March on Washington were made:

THE RIGHT TO VOTE 1963 – Voting Rights Act passed in 1965. Today – U.S. Supreme Court strikes down key provisions of to the 1965 Voting Rights Act on June 25. Several states immediately enact laws to suppress voting.

THE RIGHT TO A JOB 1963 – A federal program to guarantee the right to a job. Unemployment is 5.4%. Black/White Unemployment Ratio: 2.2 to 1Today – Full employment programs not even talked about in Washington. Unemployment is 16.2% (counting involuntary part-timers). Black/White Unemployment Ratio: 2.1 to 1.

THE RIGHT TO LIVING WAGES 1963 – A $2 minimum wage, or $15.26 in 2013 dollars.Today – A $7.25 federal minimum wage.

THE RIGHT TO DESEGREGATED SCHOOLS1963 – 76.6% of black children in majority black schools. Black majority schools get less funding.Today – 74.1% of black children in majority black schools. Black majority schools still get less funding.

Good background reading for this discussion:

Economic Policy Institute's analysis of where we are on the economic demands of the march, "The Unfinished March:" http://www.epi.org/publication/unfinished-march-overview/

Final Organizing Manual of the 1963 March (with sponsors, call, and demands): http://www.crmvet.org/docs/moworg2.pdf

On Randolph/Rustin/King post-march effort to get Congress to pass programs to realize the economic demands:

Paul LeBlanc, "Freedom Budget: The Promise of the Civil Rights Movement for Economic Justice," The Journal of Law and Society, March 2013 (available online).

Paul LeBlanc and Michael Yates, “Toward a New Freedom Budget: The Day After the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom," CounterPunch, Aug. 16, 2013, http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/08/16/the-day-after-the-march-on-washington-for-jobs-and-freedom/